Side by Side
by chuppa chupsz
Summary: Shikahina - "You never realize that Hinata's not with you." - Oneshot


**AHOI! This is a little something I made out of randomness^^. This time it's Shikahina**

**Naruto does not belong to me. **

**READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!**

* * *

**:: Side by Side ::**

* * *

No one ever expected her to go on after the medic and the future-Hokage became a couple and were soon after that engaged.

He would have bet his pants that Sakura had said yes because first of all, Hokage was a high title – and being the student of one Hokage and the wife of the next sure had its sound to it – and second she probably couldn't see _her _in any position next to the Hokage.

Later he heard from Ino that he would have most likely kept his pants and gained those from a few others.

* * *

He found her at a small lake in the Nara forests.

At first he was struck, why she would search out the ponds in the Nara forests, knowing that the Hyuuga had quite a number of ponds themselves? Instead he just settled in a nearby tree and looked at her as she stepped out of her clothes...

... Right, maybe staying wasn't such a great idea after all...

But something stopped him, binding him down to the branch he was sitting on. She was bloody all over, and there was something rather interesting on her back.

* * *

She was silent, so silent and small that no one ever noticed her – even if she would have wanted it, but nowadays he had to admit that she most likely embraced that shadowy side of her personality.

Over the years she had become sneaky, witty, and intelligent but a shadow nevertheless – a shadow to everyone but him, who always knew where to look for her and how to find her.

* * *

"Who would have thought that you spy on girls?"

He didn't even mind to open his eyes. "You know very well that I'm not spying and neither am I like anyone else. And by the way ... no one knows about your tattoo yet, so you see I'm not spilling anything either ..."

"Hn."

* * *

Silent as she was, no one ever realized that she was the one at his side as they passed the ANBU-exams.

Ino congratulated, Chouji did, Tenten did, Lee did the loudest, Naruto patted his shoulder proudly – "You're going to be my number one ANBU." – Sakura smiled at him, Kiba howled, Shino nodded and even Neji congratulated.

But none of them noticed the ANBU-masked-ninja right next to him.

* * *

At the age of twenty-two, both of them had their first mission together, without a "governess" as they had both called Ibiki for a long time – and surprisingly the man had taken it with a smirk before bellowing a few more commands.

But this was their first mission together in a team – without the man.

Shikamaru was there for information, while Hinata was the distraction. It caught him off hand for a moment, when he saw her step on the stage and the marks on her body were missing. She moved in a seductive way, any man would have eaten her out of the hand at the moment.

"Is she your slave?"

The target had moved towards him, having seen him enter with her beforehand. The Nara nodded – calling a Hyuuga "slave" was ridiculous to him, especially if it was Hinata, but he had to do it nonetheless – and the man gave him a smile, showing off his brown and partly fowl teeth.

"Would you like to swap?"

"I share, if it is your desire."

* * *

She was deadly, accurate, quick and silent like a senbon. Hardly had the man entered did he already lie on the floor, dead – killed without a sound.

Grabbing their stuff, they quickly made it out by the roof window.

"You know that it's possible we won't make it out of here?"

He only smirked. "Isn't this what ANBU's all about?"

* * *

Shikamaru here, Shikamaru there, Shikamaru our hero, Shikamaru you did well ... he couldn't hear it anymore.

Groaning he sat down on the tree branch and closed his eyes, shielding his face with a hand from the world – he just didn't want to see it.

The silent and steady sound of the water being manipulated by dainty ninja hands comforting him somehow and on the other hand also taunting and torturing him.

Why didn't she ever say a word?

* * *

Ibiki would understand – he was sure of such, he would not commit the fault as the others had, he was so sure of it as they were called to him, delivering the report.

"Hyuuga, Nara – well done."

Somehow he was relieved to find her name stated before his – only logically, going after the alphabet – and he was relieved to find that his knowledge of people hadn't let him down. Ibiki did understand.

* * *

No one expected him to be nominated Hokage … him the least.

"Wait ... what?"

It was not only that the job seemed utterly _troublesome _but it also meant that he wouldn't be able to go on any mission with Hinata anymore.

The honey-coloured eyes of the Hokage bore through him, before she smiled at him and bent forward.

"You don' have to decide yet, Shikamaru, I will give you some time, but know that whenever you enter this office, I will await an answer from you. I will give you half a year, Nara," at this point her eyes narrowed, "because half a year is one hell of a long time and I hope that you'll be able to make up your mind."

He nodded solemnly and as he was dismissed, he left the office. Hinata waiting at the other side of the door, her ANBU-mask intact – it was as if it had become a second skin for her.

* * *

"Will you accept?"

He was smoking his cigarette; she was playing – Genma-like – with a senbon in her mouth, while they were sitting on the porch of the Nara-compound. To his left nothing but wide, wide land, green and full of life.

Between them a Shougi board, although the tiles stayed forgotten on their places and a can of tea, half empty and the content resting between their fingers in a clay-container.

"I ... don't know."

And it was unusual for him to say something similar.

* * *

He would never tell her that – as ridiculous as it sounds – the reason he's hesitating is mostly because of her. He wouldn't be able to go on missions with her.

Wait, he suddenly stops himself. This is so way off of what he had always wanted. He had wanted a calm life, with a calm wife, with a calm job ... and now all of a sudden he wanted missions?

One would have thought that with Hinata everything would be calm, well ... in earlier days anyways, but today? She was the one who'd die of boredom most probably.

* * *

"Why are you still hesitating?"

He couldn't understand the slight hint of reproach in her voice, why was _she_ of all pushing him?

* * *

The next mission was somewhat ... confuse. Yes, the unbeatable dream-team Hyuuga-Nara was able to get them all down, stamp them in the ground, but still ... it was strange somehow, the teamwork was missing although it was there.

"Hyuuga, Nara – well done." The big man stopped for a moment, before he reached for a new folder, which was unusual since he would normally give them at least a day of pause.

"This will need all you've got and I count on you two to get this done correctly as always."

"HAI!"

* * *

She looked at him, then at the scroll again, then at him, and at the scroll again, before she finally groaned.

"Husband and Wife..."

She didn't like the thought of it obviously and he knew that she had her reasons, but she wasn't filling him in on anything – she had never done it.

* * *

They had always tolerated each other, but nothing more. He was the one who saw her and accepted her, she was the one, who accepted his vices and still knew how to work with him. But through all these years, they had never said anything of great importance to each other – it was about time.

"You know of the scars ... if you know of the tattoo."

"You know of the scar ... if you know of the piercing."

Things were bound to get out.

* * *

"It was a wise thing to put them on this mission."

"It's about time they realized."

"Hn, you should know, princess, that you're some witty lady."

"Come here, bear, come here and look at them."

And with that the big man rose from his seat in the corner of the office and stood next to the blond woman, looking over the houses of Konoha and at a tree, a very certain tree, where they knew that their protégés were resting.

* * *

"You're an idiot!"

She stomped and he could see it on her face that something was more than bothering her, but she would just bottle it up, like always.

"I'm the idiot? Who is it who always shoves away feelings? Who's too stubborn in the role of a victim as to stand up once and tell everyone?"

She was shocked by his statement, shocked and ... hurt. He immediately regretted the words that had just left his mouth.

"Hinata I ..."

But she was already running.

* * *

There was no sign of her for three days and some. He couldn't bear it. The compound looked empty without her dangling from some corner in the morning, her ANBU-mask intact and greeting him with freshly made coffee.

No matter where he looked, he could never see her, never find her. He scolded himself – _for saying stupid things_, forced himself to look harder – _because he was just not looking enough_, and reprimanded himself – _because he knew from the start that he had never been enough and she had stayed for so long at his side_.

In the second week, he stepped into the Hokage office, closing the door silently behind him and firstly staring at the floor, before looking up at the woman, who looked at him expectantly.

"I accept."

* * *

That night, he couldn't sleep and decided to make a lap around Konoha. He was to be Hokage ... and Hinata wasn't here.

After having rounded the village twice, he settled on his favourite branch, looking down on the well known pond that was now void of any soul.

He had once wondered why she had never used the Hyuuga-pounds, but then again...

"_You know of the scars ... if you know of the tattoo." She had looked at him before she had pulled off her shirt and had stood in front of him – in her black breast bindings and scars peppering her body. "Those ... are what you get if you are a weakling in their eyes."_

_

* * *

_

No one knew – not yet at least. Naruto was still chasing his dream to become Hokage, and he couldn't tell him that he would never be able to achieve his dream ... never.

* * *

It was one of those nights where he couldn't sleep. It had been a month since he had the dispute with Hinata, with his best friend, and she still hadn't shown.

The window was open and the warm summer breeze blew through his room, while he was sitting at his desk and drawing plans for a new wing in the hospital, since a big part had been destroyed.

The buzz of ninja wire and the whizzing of kunai made him spin around in a single moment, but all he could see was the wall of the tract next to his ... in which fifty kunai were embedded ... no – one was missing.

* * *

Like a princess ... no like a goddess she entered through his window, without a sound, clad in a long, white robe and for a moment he almost mistook her for an angel.

"Hinata ..."

He jumped up from his seat and was at her side in a mere second and while he breathed heavily, about to hug her, but restraining himself, because she seemed so fragile and delicate and he felt like breaking her – _again _– she looked up at him with her big, white eyes and she was so celestial at that moment.

* * *

Why she didn't say anything that evening, he couldn't understand, but he was so ... content in just standing in front of her, looking at her, basking in her eternal beauty that seemed to radiate off her like the warmth from the sun.

And he stood there like an idiot, just taking her in. He had almost forgotten how beautiful her face was beneath her mask ... and by the start of dawn she was gone again, without having said a word.

* * *

No matter how mysterious she was, he was positive of it: he was hooked.

Without a clear idea on how she had done it, he just _knew_ it. She had gotten him somewhere along the time with her silent being.

But would he dare to try and bind her down?

* * *

It eased his – troubled – mind to see her dancing at nights, in that white, heavenly gown and never did he dare to close his eyes or to fall asleep in her presence, because she was all he had and no matter how fleeting it all was, he wanted to cherish it.

* * *

The day it was announced was a sunny one. It was a festive day, but Shikamaru didn't feel like celebrating, in fact he felt like vomiting.

What would they think of him? They would hate him for not telling them, for "getting into Naruto's way" ... Naruto would hate him.

"_You're going to be my number one ANBU." _He felt as if he didn't even deserve to become the lowest of slaves.

* * *

The council hall was full, the heads of every clan was present, the Hyuuga, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, Aburame ... everyone. And he knew that once their families would know, they would know.

And then suddenly there was that ANBU...

The turquoise stripes on the polar-fox mask were evenly drawn and he would have noticed that mask from everywhere.

A small but persistent hand pulled him into a room, behind a door, having bowed to the Hokage, who nodded courtly.

* * *

"Relax."

Her hands were working on his stiff shoulders and slowly the nausea was ebbing away, as she worked down his back and those fingers were doing there wonders.

"_**I hereby announce Nara Shikamaru as my successor."**_

_**

* * *

**_

He vomited nevertheless.

"YOU! YOU NEVER TOLD US!"

He wasn't prepared for the punch that was to come, but much less was he prepared for the ANBU that stepped in front of him and blocked the attack.

"Control your emotions, Uzumaki."

The voice was cold and chilly, yet commanding and the blond did not dare to speak against it, much less attack again. But his eyes turned at Shikamaru, who didn't dare to look at him – he felt as if he had deserved that punch.

"I'll never accept you as my Hokage."

"Then leave or die."

* * *

No surprise that the – angry – Rookie 9 was suddenly dumbfounded and made place for Shikamaru after the ANBU had disappeared into nothingness.

Shikamaru just shook his head as he passed through the crowd that had once been his friends. Once he was through them, he turned around them and finally looked them in the eyes. Every single one – deep and long.

Ino looked back at him with something like reproach, maybe for not telling her.

Chouji was hurt, he could see that ... for the same reason, he had been his best friend after all.

Tenten was just angry, Neji was cold, Shino was inaccessible but detached, Kiba was burning with rage, Nartuo hated him with the most burning passion he had ever witnessed, Sakura as well and Lee ... Lee was just sad.

"You never notice that Hinata is not with you." And then he turned around.

* * *

Later in the evening it began to rain and he eventually shut himself in his room, where he was save from his father's and mother's reproaches on how he hadn't told them.

"_I'M SICK OF IT! WHY AM I ALWAYS ASKED TO ACCEPT AND WHY IS IT NATURAL THAT NO ONE ELSE ACCEPTS?"_

_

* * *

_

Not only had it silenced his parents, but him as well – never before had he had such a powerful outcome. He was overcome with the rage that filled him.

As he stomped to his room and crashed the door behind him, he tugged his hair and let out a long yell, before he fell to his knees and closed his eyes, ready to let the weight on his shoulders take over and suffocate him.

"Who's too stubborn in the role of a victim as to stand up once and tell everyone?"

Just this time the voice was so soft and the hand on his shoulder was comforting.

* * *

Her soft lips found his and when they connected he felt as if everything would grow wings and fly out of his window.

"I'm sorry for hiding so long." She smiled at him.

But he didn't care, because he was allowed to pin her down on his bed and he was allowed to see her like no one had seen her before.

* * *

"I will not accept you as Hokage."

The blond seethed again. The training grounds were empty and Shikamaru knew that he would not hold back on him – although he had just told him...

"Then leave or die."

But this time the words didn't have the same impact – he charged nevertheless.

* * *

They hadn't been a team for nothing – she fell back to his line, waiting until his shadow hands were reaching out and in their safety she charged, her hands blazing white and she punched the tenketsou points.

He was startled for a moment – it was way too obvious if she was doing it like this ... then again ...

"_I'm sorry for hiding so long."_

_

* * *

_

"It is a Hyuuga! You manipulated them!"

The accusations flew, whereas the head of the Hyuuga – a very young lady, who looked a lot like Hinata, but wasn't Hinata by any means – just stared at him, waiting for him to say something.

As the Hokage, he finally rose from his seat and silenced the council hall with his mere chakra.

"I will not reveal the provenance of my ANBU. Nevertheless am I not fond of having whole Konoha accuse an important clan who is as innocent as the rest of you."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Maybe she had a bit of Hinata ... but she wasn't her at all.

* * *

Lying at her side at night was one of the things that got him back to earth, one of the things that made him feel in heaven and at peace.

Having her naked form, warm and silky pressed against his own, scarred and warm as well made him rest and sleep – forget all the things that were against him at the moment.

He could feel her fingers tracing his facial features and he groggily opened his eyes, looking at her and see her smile.

"I stop hiding ... I promise." And he smiled and kissed her, because her promises were everything he had and until now she had held every single one of them.

* * *

It was quite a surprise – and then again it wasn't – that the Hokage had a small apartment just over the office.

When she stood there tying her hair to a bun she looked so graceful as she looked into the mirror and finally let them fall turning around and smiling brightly at him – oh how much he loved her.

* * *

"You are demanded at the Hyuuga compound."

Why they would never have the dignity to come to him like they had with Tsunade he didn't understand ... on the other hand he did. He was only a brat who turned Hokage.

Nodding to the messenger, he stood up and left his office.

* * *

"We are thankful to have you defend the clan." The young woman bowed and led him further into the gardens.

He knew that he wasn't alone. Not that he feared the thousand eyes of the house – he knew that she knew more than well how to stay hidden from them.

It was no surprise to him that someone suddenly lashed out and neither was it a surprise to have an ANBU standing in front of him.

* * *

The ANBU in front of him was dressed differently today. She was carrying a tight black medic-like skirt, the silvery-gray armour and a black sleeve-less top – the ANBU tattoo on her arm was clearly visibly ... as were the indigo hair blowing in the wind.

"Why do you need a body guard, Hokage-sama?" the white eyes of the Hyuuga-leader mocked.

"I don't need the body guard, but there is a thing you will never understand, called symbiosis. And I am the one who is to make sure that this village knows what this word means."

The leader laughed. "They hate you, how could you make them see?"

But he had already vanished, along with her.

* * *

Four months after he had accepted his new post, the new wing of the hospital went into operation – she smiled brightly at him.

"You're a genius!"

* * *

Things were going slow, very slow, but she always reassured him that things that developed slowly were the things that were to stay in a tight bondage.

Symbiosis had taken as long as the world was living for some beings to work out perfectly.

"This is your first step – it's an offer and sooner or later they will appreciate it."

* * *

He didn't like his face in the mountains – it looked so out of order and so after some time he also didn't care to busy any of his forces to regenerate it after it had been beaten countless times.

His left cheek was missing, his hair was missing as well, his right ear was no more and ... not to forget, his jawbone was leaving out completely, but he didn't care.

"_I'm whole when you're here."_

_

* * *

_

He had once feared to be the first to bind her down, but he found out that she didn't felt bound down by him – she stayed around him, because even if it had left her mouth only once, she loved him.

And now as he stared at her, dressed in that beautiful white gown like the day when she had come back to him, he couldn't help but smile as she spread out her arms.

"I ... feel as if I've never really said it but ... I really, really, really do love you."

And he felt as if he had just spread some wings and flew above the clouds.

* * *

She helped in building up the wing he soon noticed when she left out for some nights and when a good part of the wings was built again, correctly matching and perfect – she would be sleepy for the next day, but he still loved her dedication to a point, where he even made her breakfast.

* * *

It was _the_ day – the day when he felt he had most failed. Sitting in his office, he couldn't help but look out over the city and feel oddly at peace, because this was what he had been taught – to bring peace.

The soft hand on his shoulder squeezed assuring and he dared to turn around and look at her.

In a fleeting moment she looked like a princess, before the clouds would cover the sinking sun and she'd look like an angel with glowing eyes that guided him through the night.

* * *

"It's about time you got married …"

And although his mother dropped the sentence as if it was nothing, while stitching up some cloth from his dad and looking rather calm for her nature, he choked on the water and looked at her as if she had just told him that he'd die in a mere second.

"This is …"

"DON'T … say it." She warned …

_Troublesome_

And he was sure that somewhere he could hear soft bell-like laughter. Gah, of course she'd have her fun with this…

* * *

"You don't have a secretary …" she observed one day.

He only nodded quietly. Already his predecessor had made tremendous losses, but he wasn't even sure someone would agree on working as a secretary for him.

* * *

"Hello, Nara-san."

He didn't pay any heed to the fact that he wasn't _Hokage-sama_ like every other Hokage had been, and much less to this woman, who was asking to become his secretary.

Why, he only asked himself, before his hand left its' place in front of his mouth and his annoyed eyes lifted up to her.

"Why, Haruno-san, should I take you in the position of a secretary? As you can see I am very well off on my own.

And it was true … although that was mostly thanks to Hinata, who helped a lot with reports and who always kept his office tidy, because if she hadn't done it, it would be a single pig-sty.

So he waited for an answer of the pink-haired konoichi, who dropped her head, before clenching her fists.

"Because I was wrong …"

* * *

"I don't trust her."

"Neither do I."

The ANBU in front of him nodded shortly, before tugging down the mask and easing herself into the apartment.

* * *

"It's time you find yourself a suitable bride …"

She told him this for the … what … tenth time? He knew it already – he was aware what she wanted.

"Where are you living anyways?"

But this he wouldn't tell her – there was no way she'd destroy their luck with one of her unannounced visits.

* * *

"Shikamaru …"

He groaned at the perception of her voice and was only happy that she couldn't hear it, nor could she see it. He turned his head towards her, smiling appreciating and waiting for her to finish the sentence.

"The Rookie is having a come-together … we thought that maybe, you'd like to tag along. You're one of us after all."

* * *

She understood – she knew that this was his chance to set things right with a big bait of the population and after all, it was just a simple come-together, nothing would happen.

So he dressed in his casual black clothes and tagged along – aware that he was being followed by her and her second skin.

Where had the time gone when he had been the one looking out for her?

* * *

He _should_ have freaking _known_ it.

Growling he stood up and glared at the assembled Rookie in front of him.

"For your disloyalty I should put you all behind prison bars … but hate is not the way you solve things, it's a pity none of you ever got that. You're getting troublesome with that attitude of yours."

* * *

"We say it once more, Shikamaru, we will relent from riot if you step down from your post and hand it to Naruto."

But he knew that first of all, Tsunade would hand his ass to him, because if she had wanted the post to go to Naruto, she would have given it to Naruto and then secondly by Hinata, because if he stepped back it meant that he submitted and there was no way he'd be submissive to a bunch of troublesome brats.

* * *

He looked up in the trees, because he knew she was in them – she was always in the trees, in the shadows they spent and hid her.

She was at his side in a mere instant – having realized that he had looked for her. Instead of kneeling, she stood proudly at his side.

The long, long hair hung down to her bottom and curled lovely, just the way he liked it. A hint of jasmine hung in the air and he breathed it in – calming.

* * *

"Do you need your body-guard for decisions now?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow, but he only shook his head, because it never ceased to amaze him how blind they were – she was barely hiding anymore.

He lit himself a cigarette and took a drag.

"You called me here … no blackmailed me here, because it was said to be a Rookie-come-together and then you are trying to bribe me with … nothing."

But when Tenten stepped forth and took hold of her scroll he knew that they'd be bribing him with his life …

* * *

He wanted Hinata to stay behind – there was no way he'd let her get hurt. It wasn't that he doubted her to not be able to stand her ground. Hell, he had been the first to ever really see her doing so, but if they landed only one hit on her, he knew that he would go on rampage …

… just like any deer did if you hurt its partner _and_ the kit.

* * *

"Step behind." He ordered and she didn't object, silently finding her place behind him as he prepared to attack.

He trusted in her to stay where she was and to let this be his fight, and she did. They hadn't been a team for nothing …

* * *

An alarming chakra made him dodge early enough as he evaded another attack from behind – thanking his lover in thought, because he hardly had time for anything else.

Naruto was seemingly waiting for him to tire – but Hokage wasn't a title you got for nothing, and after having trained under Ibiki to become ANBU and finally under Tsunade to be deemed "ready" for Hokage, he knew what endurance was.

* * *

It wasn't until the chakra-alarm-bells went off permanently that he completely stopped – she was in danger, he could feel it, because it wasn't her chakra that was alarming, but his own.

Tying his opponents with a mighty shadow he turned around to see that she was bleeding.

* * *

Ibiki had taught them: Rule #1 was to never speak the others name.

"NO!" He wasn't going to break that rule in a fight where he depended so much on them.

She spun around quicker than thought possible delivering a swift kick to her cousin's head, who hadn't expected his "victim" to be so quick. But the blood was still oozing … and he was only seeing red.

* * *

It was probably the first rampage he went on as Hokage.

Stomping the ground new seals formed all on their own, before he stopped and spun in a circle towards her slamming his hands in the ground just next to her.

Around them a pool of dark hands emerged, reaching for the opponents and holding them while drowning them in shadows, suffocating them in pure air – but all the magic vanished when she parted his furious fingers.

* * *

He cried – he hated crying, but he couldn't help the tears from falling as he looked at the pale, bloodied body in his arms and no one wanted to help … and he was no medic.

So he broke down in the middle of the place and yelled in agony – her chest rising a little less once more.

And no one seemed to care.

* * *

"Please, Shikamaru, please … my promise … please …"

Her pleadings were so silent and yet he didn't want to share her face in the moment of her going, he didn't want them to remember her dying, on the other hand he had wanted them to remember her as someone brave and shining yet they would never remember her.

So with careful fingers he undid the knot that held her mask – her second skin – and lifted it from her face – exposing it to the world around them … and suddenly everything went silent.

She smiled at him and he could only cry; cry because the medics didn't know what to do and Sakura wasn't here to help, wasn't in the _mood_ of helping, and kami knew where Tsunade was this time. He cried because he was stupid – _he should have asked her before all this._

_

* * *

_

"OUT OF MY WAY!"

He was shoved away and a blur of blond bowed over the young, dying woman while a strong hand that resembled much to the paw of his former "governess" lay on his shoulder, trying to reassure, but knowing as little as he did.

* * *

Hinata knew many things of him that only she knew.

She knew that he had a nipple piercing, just centimetres above a deep scar where he would have almost been killed once.

She knew that he loved the feeling of crisp sheets even the more when they had hung the whole day outside.

She knew that it had never been easy for him to be Hokage, because she had been with him since it had all started.

She knew that he had a dragon with antlers tattooed on his whole back, because she had been the one to do it.

She knew that normally there were only two ways of eating pancakes for him: either it was with jam or it was salty … only when he had a bad time waking up, he'd enjoy the bliss of chocolate chip pancakes.

* * *

Everything seemed to slow down and he felt as if he was completely detached from everything as people started to slow down and stare at the women on the ground, before they realized the former Hokage and then everything was havoc.

But Tsunade couldn't need havoc when she was trying to heal a person.

Shikamaru did the only thing that was left.

"Silence." And enhanced with a few seals, everyone suddenly realized that, no matter what they did with their mouths, they weren't able to get a sound out.

Tsunade nodded although he could only see it from behind, before she was getting back to work, his other sensei's hand still resting on his shoulder.

* * *

It was rising, rising and falling; the chest was slowly filling with air and then getting rid of it again and never in his life could he have been anymore luckier than at this moment. His lungs filled with air and hope simultaneously to hers until she opened her eyes again.

"Help me, Hinata." Tsunade asked her.

And she did.

* * *

She needed Ibiki to help her up from her crouching position, whereas Shikamaru gently lifted his princess in bridal style and pressed her firmly to his chest.

The honey-eyed woman looked at him and nodded.

"You did well with the village. I've seen you built up the destroyed wing of the hospital."

He only nodded carefully … it wasn't so great what he had done.

"Hyuuga, Nara – well done." Ibiki smiled before he put his arm around the shoulders of the former Hokage and the both disappeared.

Forming the seals with one hand, the spell on the civilians was released and the realized that they were able to speak again, before the Hokage bent down and took the mask from the dusty ground and turned to walk to the Hokage tower.

* * *

"It's time you're getting married…"

Almost everything was back to normal …

"I _am_ married, mother."

Silence …

"WHAT?"

Well … almost …

* * *

It was strange at first to have her around him as a wife, but on the other hand it wasn't. They had spent so many time at each others side …

But she had always told him: _things that developed slowly were the things that were to stay in a tight bondage_

_

* * *

_

The council hall was full, full of noises and full of people, full of different scents and so full of stupidity.

"Silence."

No jutsu to help this time – if they wouldn't obey then there would be an aftermath, and they all knew it.

"I've said it once, I'll repeat myself: I will not reveal the provenance of my ANBU. And it will be tolerated that this member of said organization is present during the stay of the Kazekage."

* * *

Gaara was in town, Temari left out this time – she was busy with wedding preparations. And while the red-head hadn't much to say, so did the Nara. Still … there was this little inconvenience …

"I'm awfully sorry that the hotels are booked up to such an extent … we're having the Sakura-festival in mere days." He excused as he led the Kazekage to the office; apparently he'd be the first to see the Hokage-apartment.

"Please, step closer."

And then he pulled out the falling stairs from next to him.

* * *

Hinata wasn't surprised to see the Kazekage at the apartment – in fact they were having an agreeable party of Shougi and enjoying a calm tea, until she had stepped through the window.

"Is it normal for your ANBU to step into the apartment without making themselves known?" the sand-master asked, curious about the ways of diplomacy in the country.

"Only for this one." Shikamaru smirked.

* * *

She took off her mask and joined them, leaving the red-headed Kazekage a bit stunned at first but he relaxed quickly in her presence … and she was a respectable Shougi-player.

"I admit that your friends gave me the idea of you having deserted the village ages ago." He declared as they were staring at the stars, but she only smiled.

"You would be amazed at what they're trying to implement to the rest of the world." And still she somehow got them to smile.

* * *

Gaara took off too early for the taste of the two and also for his own taste.

"I would have loved to spend a few more days." He admitted, bowing to the Hokage and the ANBU that would never leave his side. "I hope you will come to see me when things get better and until then our meeting in a year is the next time we see."

Politely they bowed and watched the young man leave.

* * *

There were a couple of things only he knew about Hinata.

He knew that she loved to paint, to dance, to sing and to make music … and it wasn't to his chagrin that she was a master in those arts.

He knew that she had lost a child in the last fight with the rookie, and even though she had been insecure about it, he loved her nevertheless.

He knew that she had a tattoo of a koi on her hip-bone, and the sign for tiger behind her ear – it was small, but somehow he loved to kiss it everytime again, as if to give her power.

He knew that she loved children and whenever she had a hard time sleeping, she'd hop over to the hospital – as the white angel he knew her to be – and enter the station where the children lay, tormented by their dreams and then she'd sing them beautiful songs in soft tunes.

* * *

Their marriage was one of the most secretive things he's ever done in his life … and normally those didn't stay secretive for a long time, but his marriage … his marriage managed to stay secretive.

It managed to stay the meeting under the moon, at the river, next to the willow, where a small altar of the times before them was still standing. It managed to stay the ceremonial voice of the former Hokage and the shadowy presence of their governess as witness of the marriage and it managed to stay her hushed whisper of agreement.

His marriage – they'd never find out about, only that he was married.

* * *

A tip from the Hokage … the former one … in order to get things right and into order. "I know I've left you to all this with nothing more than a warm handshake and on one hand I'm sorry about this, on the other hand I see how well you've grown in not only your role but how well you handle this village … it is at peace."

To cope with those that wanted a riot, one had to hear them out, listen to them and what they really wanted to say.

* * *

"I won't accept you as Hokage."

It was like a broken record almost machine-like and he had to fight hard not to slap his forehead – he was here to clear things, not to make them worse.

"Is that … really everything you want to tell me?" he tried calmly again.

But as the man was about to open his mouth, he knew what was about to come and he was not sure if he could hear it one more time, without breaking his resolve – he was saved.

"Naruto."

The man opposite of him looked up to the ANBU standing next to him and he was surprised to find her having a mild tone.

"You are friends even if he was announced Hokage by Tsunade-sama, you have always been able to make your feelings be understood, why do you try to lock that gift away now when it is most important?"

Sometimes her words worked wonders …

* * *

Lying in the same bed as her was a wonderful thing to do and sometimes he couldn't even know what he had done to deserve such a thing. But she only smiled at him and kissed him, before placing his hand on her stomach.

"I'm pregnant…"

And he knew that she was the happiest living being in a radius of … oh forget it, of the whole world, because for all this time she had wished for a child – and now it was coming, along with all the peace.

* * *

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